Garment.



No. 737,260. 'PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

' B. W. MERRILL.

GARMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG'. 20. 1902.

no MODEL. 2 SHEET-SHEEII.

Ma'ness e5: In-pehqn 7 a fl No; 737,260. 'PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903;

E. ,W. MERRILL. GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. 1902.

F0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses: .Zhventor: @MMW WM o itorney UNITED STAT S Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT rrics.

GARMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,260, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed August 20, 1902. Serial No. 120,273. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH W. MERRILL, of Quincy, in the county of-Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, ha e invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a dress for children sofashioned as toallow the child perfect freedom of movement, at the same time protecting the undergarments worn or eliminating the necessity of all or some of them, thus giving at all times a loose comfortable garment sufficiently attractive for school as well as home use. I

The invention will now be fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings, and'the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim at the close ordinary dress-skirt.

of the specification.

back there is an opening 3 from the neck to the Waist-line. 7 At the waist-line there is a lateral openingvl, cxtendingfrom the bottom 'of the vertical opening 3 to the right and left thereof along the waist-line for some distance.

The skirt 2 is made full at the sides, as an The pattern for the skirt, both for the frontand theback, is formed at the bottom with an upwardly-crowned arch 5 in the middle. The skirt is partially closed at the bottom with a seam along the line of this arch and is left with openings at each end of the arch for the legs. The skirt around said openings 6 is gathered in and shirred to contract the openings, so as to form a snug fit around the leg. .Elastic bands or other means should be provided whereby the leg-opening may be enlarged, so as to be drawn up over the knee, and then contracted, so as to fit snugly around .the smaller part of the leg above the knee. The arch is so shaped as to give free play to the limbs and the skirt is In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of I sufficiently full so that when the garment is on the child, as seen in Fig. 4-, it will fall in a fold 9 around the outside in an even 1ine,'at the bottom appearing like the bottom of an ordinary skirt turned up at the edge and extend below the leg-openings, entirely concealing them, while the central portion of the bottom will still remain as shown in dotted .line 7 in Fig. 4 and concealed by the outside fold of the garment. 'If it were not for the archv inthegarment thatis, if the skirtwere square across the bottom, like a bag, with leg-holes at the cornerswhen put on the child the middle would hang in a baggy fold in the center below the outer edges of the garment. It would not only be unsightly but be a grea hindrance to freedom of movement.

A garment constructed according to my invention herein described having the full skirt, the arched seam, and the fitted leg-openings when it is in practical use has the appear ance of a full skirt, yet furnishes perfect protection against drafts, moisture, and soil, thereby eliminatingthe need of any other garments in excessively warm weather and protecting from soil the garments which are needed underneath it in cold weather and effecting a great saving in laundry.

Preferably the upper rear part of the skirt portion has an opening on each side extending a short distance downward, forming a flap 8 for convenience in putting on and. removing the garment and other convenient purposes. When the garment is put on, the flaps and the waist-opening may be fastened by buttons or in other well-known ways.

I am aware of Patent No. 534,601 to L. Sittig; but that patent shows practically two garments secured together, a pair of trousers sewed to the inside of the skirt.

I am also aware of United States Patent No. 282,254, dated July 31, 1883, to Gilbert Baker, and I hereby disclaim what is shown in either the Baker or the Sittig patent above mentioned. It is not intended herein to broadly claim a skirt having a closed bottom with leg-openings therein provided with elasties to secure a tight fit; but neither the Sittig nor the Baker patent above mentioned shows a skirt closed at the bottom except openings for the legs, and with the closed bottom upwardly arched between the leg-opem z t w ee-e ings to avoid undue fullness and n'event 1mgging down.

\Vhat I claim is A garment having a dress-skirt WllUfw'H het- 5 tom edge is arched in the 111i (Idle, the bottom being closed along the arch and left open at each end of the arch, forming leg-openings, means by which the leg-openings may he v snugly closed about the leg, the skirt being: 10 made full so that when the garment is adjusted 011 the wearer the skirt will 2111 in a,

i'ehl at the hettem mlteide of and below the leg-openings, giving the appearance of full :r-akh-t :mCV :LHUWIHRQ; Tree movement of thelegrs, euheLmutm-Hy :ts leeerihed. I

In teethaleny .vl'lereef I have affixed. my mi nature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIZJUZE'TH W. MERRILL.

WE tneesee: v W 1111mm: A. COPELAND, RMSIJWL "($.t.1;m u1t. 

